The Capital Times Air force base to campus: history of PSH By Herbert Smith Staff Reporter hjsl3s@psu.edu Penn State University's branch in Middletown has been open since 1967. However, the land the school sits on has a rich his tory dating back nearly a century. Part of the land became an The first class of PSH graduated in 1968. The class included 11 social science majors and one humanities major. All of the graduates were from Middletown and nearby communities. XGI honors veterans: past, present and future By Kelly Nagurny Assistant Editor kxnl63@psu.edu Veterans, students, faculty, staff and community members recent ly gathered at PSH on Veterans Day to honor members of the military who serve and have served the country. The ceremo ny was sponsored and organized by Chi Gamma lota (XGI), PSH's veteran fraternity. The crowd looked on respect fully as XGI President Chris Kramm and guest speaker Colonel Steven M. Graham spoke about the history and importance of Veterans Day. "Today we are gathered here to focus on service-to remember all who have served to protect our freedom. As a former soldier, I understand the importance of freedom and the sacrifice that must be made to maintain it," said Kramm. "This is why I feel it army base during the Spanish- American War and in 1917, land was broken on the Army Air Corps field, which later became Olmsted Air Force Base. During World War I, the land served as a training facility. In 1960, the Olmsted building, a 189,000 square foot facility, was built and served as an administrative is important to take time to rec ognize our nation's military veter ans. They secured our freedom in the past, just as those current ly serving in the Armed Forces protect it today." Col. Graham, a senior military officer currently studying at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, was the featured speak er of the ceremony. Graham spoke about the importance of showing gratitude to those who serve, have served and will serv ice in the U.S. armed services. These servicepeople, he said, volunteer to serve the country with honor and courage. "They have sought neither fortune nor fame. A simple love of country and liberty compelled them to serve this great nation of ours," said Graham. Veterans Day was originally known at Armistice Day and sig nified a celebration of world peace and the end of World War building. The Swatara building served as the infirmary for the base, while the Mechanical Building served as the machine shop, where parts for aircraft were made and repaired. Meanwhile, aircrafts were repaired in the Capital Business Park. The former student hous ing buildings, known as Meade Heights, originally housed mar ried officers. Two resident halls, named Church and Wrisberg after two pilots killed in 1960 in a plane crash in York County, served as dormitories for the sol diers. After Penn State took over the land, the two halls served as housing for the students until Meade Heights was renovated. Church Hall was later renovated and became the Institute for State and Regional Affairs and the centers for Survey Research, Economic Research and Training, and others. Nine other buildings also stood on the cam pus that no longer do. The base also served in an emergency evacuation process for the President of the United States during the Cold War. In case of a nuclear attack, a heli copter would have left Olmsted and flown to Washington to pick up the president and then flown him to a secret underground location. Across Rt. 230 from the current campus sits Harrisburg International Airport. The airport I. In 1954, Congress renamed the day Veterans Day, although the purpose remained the same. Over 120 service members are currently enrolled as students at PSH and many members of the faculty and staff are veterans, said Kramm. "By hosting a cere mony at PSH, we provide an opportunity for them to be recog nized and to recognize their comrades," he said. Veterans Day is also a time to honor those who have lost their lives while serving and the fami lies of the victims, said Graham. According to Graham, over 425,000 Americans have been killed in combat situations. "Behind each of these deaths lies an American family in mourn ing." Today, said Graham, veterans continue to contribute to their communities even after they have served. They serve as emergency medical surgeons, News was also part of Olmsted; troops were trained there and of course, military aircrafts could land there. When the base closed, the air port could have been destroyed. However, the airport's long run way made it ideal for commercial flights and so the HIA was born. The Olmsted Air Force base and the Olmsted building are both named for First Lieutenant Robert Sanford Olmsted. Olmsted served in the Engineering section of the Balloon and Airship Division of the Army Air Service. He also served in the Army as a balloon pilot. Olmsted was killed in Nistlerode, Holland on September 23, 1923. He was participating in the 12th Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race when his balloon was struck by lightning. Olmsted Field was named in his honor on October 20, 1923. In the 19605, as the United States fell deeper into the Vietnam War, many bases were closed so the extra funding could be used for the war effort. In 1964, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announced that Olmsted Air Force Base was one of the bases on the list to be closed. Middletown depended on the base economically and its clos ing promised to put a strain on the town. Former Gov. William Scranton approached Penn pilots, police officers and fire fighters. "...it is not just job skills they bring to our communities. They also bring their commit ment, their work ethic, their sense of fair play, and their will ingness to act as members of a team. According to Kramm, XGI is the oldest fraternity at Penn State Harrisburg and began in 1968. The fraternity is composed of veterans, activity duty military members, reserves, members of the National Guard and ROTC. XGl's main purpose is to aid service members in making the transition between service and college. It also participates in many community and social activities. For more information on XGI, contact Chris Kramm at ctkl33@psu.edu. "To all our veterans, we have a simple yet heartfelt message-- thank you--all of you, for your service," said Graham. The side of campus that is used today for offices originally housed PSH's dining hall, residence halls and student center. State about possibly opening a campus on the available land. Penn State agreed and pur chased the 215 acre property for $l. The first class at Penn State Harrisburg arrived in 1967, and consisted of 12 students and seven faculty members, all of whom lived in on-campus hous ing. During the Hurricane Agnes flood in June 1972, the campus helped victims of the flood by setting up trailers in the current library parking lot for those who lost their homes. The trailers remained for over a month until the citizens found alternate hous ing. Penn State also assisted Col. Steven Graham recently spoke at PSH about Veterans Day as part of an XGI ceremony. Photos courtesy of PSH Library Special Collections during the Three Mile Island Disaster in 1979. Besides being used as an evacuation site, hear ings on the accident were held in the Capital Union Building. PSH has a nice mixture of new and old buildings that dot its vast landscape. While the land hasn't been a base for nearly 40 years and most of the buildings that remain from that time have new names, the Army's print on this campus remains. It just takes a closer look to see it. For more information on the his tory of Penn State Harrisburg, visit the library's special collec tions room, which contains many historical items of interest. Photo by Kelly Nagurny/Capital Times
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